Martyred Guardian of Nature
Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996) |race = • Human |gender = • Female |status = • Inactive: deceased (Sarafan era) |titles = • Guardian of the Pillar of Nature |affiliation = • The Circle of Nine • The Sarafan Brotherhood |item = • Unknown |realm = • Material Realm |birthera = • Sarafan era or earlier |appearances = |mentioned = }} The martyred Nature Guardian All Pillar Guardians at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter)Vorador killing nature guardian at The Art of Daniel Cabuco (by Daniel Cabuco) was one of the human Guardians of the Pillar of Nature, and a member of the Circle of Nine. She served the Pillars of Nosgoth during the Sarafan era, and presumably sponsored the Vampire Purge led by the Sarafan Brotherhood. She was among the six Guardians murdered by Vorador in his Slaughter of the Circle at the Sarafan Stronghold. The Guardian appeared only as a minor character in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. Role The Nature Guardian was one of six who fell to Vorador's fateful attack. Raziel: "Is this the vampire Vorador?" // Moebius: "Yes, the scourge of the Circle. The most depraved and decadent example of his whole degenerate race. He slaughtered six of my fellow Guardians as they cowered, defenseless, in this room." // Raziel: "And you somehow survived this massacre?" // Moebius: "I, and two others. The Circle was devastated; only we three were spared." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Chris@Crystal's Greatest Hits at the Eidos forums (by Divine Shadow) She was among four Guardians seen using the viewing basin to observe and guide the Sarafan campaign, alongside the then-Balance Guardian, the Energy Guardian and another (an unidentified male). Of these four, she was the second of Vorador's victims; he impaled the unknown male Guardian with his sword, then fired an Energy Bolt spell at her, the nearest remaining Circle member. It knocked her to the ground violently and lingered over her body, resulting in immediate death. ~Suddenly a door swings open, flooding the room with blinding light. A jagged sword rips through the closest wizard, and the vampire Vorador appears from behind the falling corpse.~ // Balance Guardian: "Malek!" // ~Vorador fires an energy bolt at another wizard, killing her.~ Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. She was succeeded - either directly, or later in Nosgoth's history - by Bane. The Players at SK: The Complete Guide To Legacy of Kain (archived at Dark Chronicle) In the Blood Omen era, Moebius discussed the event with Kain, attributing the deaths to Malek's "vanity". Moebius: "Malek - defender of the Nine and last of the Sarafan sorcerer-priests. His vanity led to the slaughter of the Circle at the hands of the vampire Vorador. For his failing, his spirit was fused to a hellish set of magical armor. He has allowed no member of the Circle to fall since." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. In the second timeline's pre-Blood Omen era, Moebius displayed to Raziel that, following her death, the Nature Guardian was beatified in a mural adorning one of the gathering-room's walls, as too were her five slain peers. ~Raziel follows him into the chamber beyond, and the door slides shut behind them. They are now standing in an ornate, octagonal, domed room. The walls of this chamber are decorated with scenes memorializing the slaughter of six of the Circle at Vorador’s hands, many centuries ago. The slain Circle guardians are depicted in beatific imagery; the vampire Vorador is demonized. In the center of the room stands a distinctive basin engraved with arcane symbols.~ // Raziel: "Are we within the Stronghold of the Sarafan priesthood?" // Moebius: "Yes, but the glorious days of the Sarafan have long since passed, I’m afraid. This is a more... cynical and indecorous age. My mercenary army now inhabits this stronghold – we strive to honor the memory of the Sarafan with our own humble crusade." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Moebius had seemingly utilized their deaths, along with the deaths of the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors and the more recent killing of William the Just, to help incite his Mercenary Army's "humble crusade" against Nosgoth's Vampires. ~Raziel sees the images in the Chapter House memorializing the Sarafan martyrs – his former brethren and himself.~ // Raziel: "This chapel, I realized, was a memorial to my former Sarafan brethren and myself... all of us martyred here, and then so cruelly profaned by Kain when he imposed his ‘gift’ on our noble corpses." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel: "So this was the tomb of the beloved King William the Just – beatified here as the martyr and catalyst of Moebius’s crusade. I was reminded of Kain’s journey as a fledgling vampire – How Moebius coerced him to travel back in history and assassinate William, thus igniting a genocidal hatred of vampires among the citizens of Nosgoth." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Raziel could peruse her mural during his quest, which was still intact throughout the third timeline and the Blood Omen 2 era (albeit faded and heavily-worn in the latter). When Raziel stormed the Stronghold in the Sarafan era to avenge Janos Audron, his own attack on the Sarafan Warrior Inquisitors coincided with Vorador's assault on the Circle. ~Suddenly, the sounds of a far-off disturbance echo through the chamber. Screams, terrified cries for Malek, and the unmistakable laughter of the vampire Vorador as he mocks the Guardians reverberate through the stone corridors – this is the same moment in history where Vorador infiltrated the Stronghold to take his revenge on the Circle (also for Janos’ murder).~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. He encountered Moebius, defended by Malek, shortly after infiltrating the building. ~Suddenly Moebius and the Sarafan Malek appear in the doorway behind Raziel, cutting off his exit. He’s been trapped. Wheeling on them, Raziel summons the wraith-blade – but Moebius has arrived bearing his staff, and as the orb flares, the wraith-blade flickers and dies. Moebius intends to stall Raziel long enough to drain his reaver energy (thus forcing him to take up the Reaver that’s been laid out for him here, despite his misgivings). Moebius's demeanor has changed dramatically since their last encounter. Gone are all signs of the sniveling, pandering magician – this Moebius is cold, focused, and completely in control.~ Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. There, the trio could hear the future martyrs' distant pleas for help, and Vorador's taunts; it was in fact Moebius himself, instructing Malek to "hold fast" against Raziel despite Malek's protestations, who had delayed the Paladin from saving the six Guardians. Vorador: "Call your dogs – they can feast on your corpses!" // Malek: "Lord Moebius, there is trouble within. The Circle is under attack –" // Moebius: "Hold fast, Malek. This one is the real danger to us." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (October 31, 2001) Transcript. Malek at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter) In the fourth timeline, Raziel encountered, and battled, the specter of the Nature Guardian's earliest predecessor - the original Nature Guardian - in the Fire Forge of the Vampire Citadel. Raziel: "I was met by the specter of the Nature Guardian, monstrously deformed since its death centuries ago." // Nature Guardian: "Rejoice, creature, for today your spirit will return to the One..." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Defiance. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (November 11, 2003) Transcript. Character Development The Nature Guardian character definitively appeared in the introductory cinematic of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, but was referred to simply as a female "wizard" in dialogue scripts, and remains unnamed as of yet. She can be identified based on Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2, which evinces that only two female Guardians were part of the Circle of Nine at that time - the other being the Balance Guardian, also slain in the intro. She does not speak any lines, and hence has no corresponding voice actor. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 reintroduces the Nature Guardian in the Sarafan Stronghold's murals, illustrated by series artist Daniel Cabuco. She is the only Guardian whose Pillar affinity can be deduced from her mural; her sash sports the Nature symbol, and represents the first instance of the symbol in the series. Official information passed on to Dark Chronicle later matched the other Guardians to their respective Pillars. Appearance The Guardian's appearance differs significantly between Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain and Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2's depictions. In the former, she is garbed in a hooded brown robe, with a distinctive studded red collar. Both of her arms are intact, in contrast to her Sarafan Stronghold mural in the latter game; here, her right arm is curiously withered and bandaged, with blood overtly seeping through a wound beneath. This particular detail remains unexplained. Her hair has a faint burgundy hue, adorned with a pale flower, and she wears a flowing purple and blue dress. Daniel Cabuco initially intended to portray Vorador with a "nasty looking knife about to shank the Nature Guardian" in this image, but ultimately felt it was too harsh and removed the weapon. He later reflected that "in some ways it's worse because now he's got to do her in with his bare fangs". Her aureoled portrait in the mural appears to have been partially based on a concept for the pre-fallen Ariel.Ariel Prefallen at The Art of Daniel Cabuco (by Daniel Cabuco) Powers Though the extent of the Nature Guardian's powers are not witnessed in the series, her unique talents may have been akin to those of her successor, Bane, and her Ancient Vampire predecessor. The Complete Guide to Legacy of Kain elucidates that "Bane is a wizard of Nature. He manipulates the behavior of life and the elements. Through his magic he can change the nature of life itself, animating plants and influencing animals, creating new and weird life forms for his own purposes. The weather itself is at his behest." It seems likely that the scope of the martyred Guardian's abilities was similar. Notes *Though Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain describes the four martyrs it depicts as "young and old", the martyred Nature Guardian's age at the time of her death is not discussed in the series, nor is the exact number of Nature Guardians throughout Nosgoth's history specified. ~The camera continues to pull out, and we see the above scene contained within a pool of water, nested in the middle of a large, circular table with arcane symbols carved into it. Around the table are a cluster of wizards, both male and female, young and old. The room is dimly lit, but we can make out what they are wearing. They appear to be watching the events in the magic pool quite intently.~ Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Legacy of Kain: Defiance retroactively reveals that Moebius and Mortanius were the earliest and oldest human Guardians in the timeline, but it is not certain whether the Nature Guardian had served as early as the Human Guardians' Revolt which they led, or whether she joined the Circle at some later point before the Sarafan era. Kain: "This history, in part, I knew already... How, as the Vampires began to die out, the Pillars summoned human Guardians to fulfill their roles. It seemed the ancient Vampires had adopted – and, when necessary, abducted – the human Guardians, and made vampires of them when they came of age. Until the humans rebelled against their masters... And here I made a surprising discovery: it was Moebius the Time Streamer, and Mortanius, Guardian of Death, who led the bloody revolt. Now I understood why Moebius hated me so intensely. I was the first vampire Guardian in all these centuries – and he knew what my coming signified... or perhaps I reminded him of all he had forsaken." Crystal Dynamics. Legacy of Kain: Defiance. (Eidos Interactive). PlayStation 2. (November 11, 2003) Transcript. *As with the other martyred Guardians, it is uncertain what the Nature Guardian's unique binding item was. She did not appear to possess an Antler Headdress, as her successor Bane did. Moebius: "The antler headdress of the Druid Bane I lay before the Nature Pillar. The Pillar accepted its offering; thus it was restored." Silicon Knights / Crystal Dynamics. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. (Crystal Dynamics). PlayStation. (November 15, 1996) Transcript. Gallery BO1-Act-1-CircleOfNine.png BO1-Act-1-NatureGuardian-1.png BO1-Act-1-NatureGuardian-2.png SR2-Mural-NatureGuardian-WIP.png Appearances * Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain * Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 2 (depicted only) See also * All Pillar Guardians at Dark Chronicle (by Marie Walter). References }} Category:Blood Omen characters Category:Characters Category:Soul Reaver 2 unseen characters